Fewer machines are better poised to enslave humanity than the ubiquitous iPhone. That doesn’t make Apple’s gadget the ideal device for a Terminator game, though it does suggest a good platform for crude movie tie-ins.

From a remote controlled dragonfly to their award-winning Robosapien, toy maker WowWee is the master of all things robotic, but the inspiration for their toy creations often come from the world of video games.

Automata are self-operating machines, the original iteration of robots. These clockwork creations have fascinated me since I was a child. Richard Garriott, too, is fascinated with these machines, but he’s got the money to back up his interest.